Aurum
by thewhiteleovaldez
Summary: Ciel. In French, it means sky. Aurum. In Latin, it means gold. Vincent Phantomhive's choice of names for his children were certainly one of a kind. Ciel's sister grew up in the twenty-first century, but now she's been sent back to wreak havoc on the Phantomhive family. However, there's only one left. Well, two now. (THERE WILL BE SEBACIEL SMUT)
1. His Butler, Greeting A Guest

**A/N 'Sup, homos. Here's a lovely Black Butler fic about Ciel and his sister (and Sebastian of course, we love him).**

* * *

 **Aurum**

 _By:_ thewhiteleovaldez

 _ **CHAPTER ONE**_

* * *

Vincent Phantomhive, watchdog of the queen. He was never exactly one with the most uptight morals. But Ciel had never expected this. The girl standing in front of his desk was supposedly his sister. His bastard sister, no less. Ugh. Disgraceful. Add to that her clothes...what the hell was she wearing?

Aurum maybe-she-was-Phantomhive was dressed in what she'd proudly told Ciel were combat boots, as well as tight blue pants and a black shirt with a picture of a wolf on it. The black shirt was ripped near the waist, and on top of the shirt Aurum wore a black and purple plaid button-up shirt that was much too big for her. Indeed, it was so big on her that in places it almost went down to her knees. Her hair was messy and short, and Ciel could see grey roots coming in over the blonde she'd dyed it. She wore an obscene amount of eye makeup, darkening around her eyes so she looked sleep-deprived and dramatic.

Ugh. Ciel sighed. "So, tell me again, what did you say happened?"

"Well, the guy who raised me? So, on my sixteenth birthday he tells me that I'm the daughter of an important character from my favorite anime, which is set in the Victorian Age, like, gimme a break. I tell him that's ridiculous and then he shows himself as a demon! I mean, I believe in demons. I believed him. But then he goes and tells me that he's sending me back to my family? Huh. I didn't believe that. But then he like, I dunno, grabbed me and said some weird words and suddenly I'm on your front porch, and he says that I have to find either my father, Vincent Phantomhive, or my brother, Ciel Phantomhive, and then I was laughing because come on. It had to be some kind of a joke. Too good to be real, right? But then he left and your demon showed up with a bunch of silverware, and by the way, your demon? _Hot_. So anyway that's what happened."

Aurum stopped talking, looking at Ciel and fiddling with one of her buttons.

"First of all," Ciel said, rubbing his forehead, "you also told me that you are the...illegitimate child of my father? And second of all...what on earth do you mean by calling my butler hot?"

Aurum grinned. "Yeah, apparently I was born before you and dad gave me away to that demon in exchange for the demon securing your mom's hand in marriage for our dad."

"How old are you exactly?"

"Sixteen." Aurum sighed. "I was just about to get my Driver's License too…"

"You didn't answer my second question." Ciel gave Aurum a stern look.

"Oh…" Aurum smirked. "I just mean that Sebastian is...really physically attractive."

Ciel groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course. Of course."

"I'm surprised you didn't notice that yourself, brother dear," Aurum said with a laugh.

Ciel glared at her. "Don't call me that. And why would I be the one to notice?"

Aurum hesitated, pressing her lips together and staring at Ciel with an apprehensive expression. "Promise you won't, like, kill me or something?"

"Depends on what you say," Ciel retorted, staring at Aurum suspiciously.

Aurum grinned. "I'm not sure you know what shipping is, Ciel, but basically, any fan of the Black Butler story ships you and Sebastian."

Ciel was puzzled, but his voice held a low threat. "You are correct. I do not know what you mean. Would you care to enlighten me?"

"Well…" Aurum tapped her fingers together, surveying Ciel. "In the future, the story of you and Sebastian and all you other people is called Black Butler. However, it's really messed up and garbled and nobody can agree on what actually happens. There's a manga, which is a novel told in pictures, and an anime, which does not really follow the manga. Oh, and an anime is basically a film with color in a specific art style. So the film has two seasons and a few extras, and nobody can agree on whether the second season counts or not."

"What was in the second season?" Ciel wanted to know.

Aurum shrugged. "Oh, basically Sebastian and this other demon named Claude formed a pact to trick their masters and then Claude tried to steal your soul but Alois Trancy, who was his master, made a contract with a demoness to kill Claude, steal your body, and make you into a demon so that Sebastian could never take your soul. And somehow Claude had you convinced that Sebastian was responsible for your parents' deaths."

"And nobody can agree on whether that happened or not?!" Ciel spluttered, his face having become more and more angry and confused as Aurum had recounted the tale.

"Nope. But that's not my point. Anyway, shipping is the act of thinking that two characters in something should be together in a romantic way, a sexual way, or both. A whole lot of Black Butler fans ship you and Sebastian."

"What?!" Ciel shouted. "Why?! He is a demon, I am a human, and I am thirteen years old!"

"Chill, bro," Aurum said, her face dead-pan as Ciel shouted at her. "I guess it's kind of a get what you can while you still have the chance situation. You're gonna die anyway, so why not enjoy yourself while you're alive? It's what I'd do."

Ciel sat heavily back in his chair, burying his face in his hands. "You are incredibly morbid." Awkward silence reigned for several minutes. Ciel finally took his head out of his hands and looked at Aurum with slight distaste. "I guess you really are a Phantomhive. Wonderful. I suppose you'll make things around here a whole lot more interesting."

"You mean I can stay?" Aurum asked happily.

"Yes, I suppose," Ciel muttered.

"Oh, hey, Ciel?"

"Yes?"

"If you don't want Sebastian, can I have him?" Aurum looked at her brother with hope shining in her eyes.

Ciel scoffed. "No. That's disgusting. You're my sister. He's a servant."

"Ha!" Aurum said gleefully, pointing a finger sharply at Ciel. "So you _do_ want him!"

Ciel blushed. "No, I don't! I was just-agh! If you want to be around servants so much, go introduce yourself to the other ones! There's a gardener, a maid, and a chef. They're utterly incompetent at their jobs. But they're not just for show. See-"

"Oh, you don't need to explain, Ciel," Aurum said happily, already halfway out the door. "I watched the Circus Arc and read about them in the manga. Also in the second half of the first season. I know why they're really here. They're all experts at killing, aren't they? Lovely! I'll go see them then." Aurum beamed at Ciel. "Oh, and by the way? Don't expect me to give up on you and Sebastian." She winked at Ciel and pranced off down the hall, singing to herself as she went.

"Let's play a love game, play a love game, do you want love, or you want fame, are you in the game?... _Dans de_ love game…"

Sebastian slipped into the room and regarded Ciel with an amused glint in his red eyes.

"Is there something the matter, young master?" The demon inquired with false-innocence. "I heard shouting."

"No, Sebastian, nothing's the matter," Ciel said, running his hands through his hair distractedly. He was well aware that Sebastian had likely heard every word of the conversation Ciel had just had with Aurum, and Ciel was not sure how he felt about that. "The girl is my sister. She'll be staying here. For now. See to it that she is treated just like any nobility."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian replied, just as Ciel knew he would. "I do have several questions, however."

Ciel raised his eyebrow at the demon, silently daring him to continue. Sebastian ignored Ciel's hostility.

"Lady Phantomhive is your father's bastard, correct?"

"Yes."

"And she has arrived here from the twenty-first century?"

"Yes."

"And, despite the fact that she is only half-noble, is is to be treated as a full noble?"

"...Yes. Are you going somewhere with this, Sebastian?" Ciel demanded.

"My point is, young master, that she has no idea how a noble of this time is supposed to act. Especially a noble of the female persuasion. For example, I noticed that she was not wearing a corset."

"Sebastian, watch your tongue."

"I don't see how it is a problem, my lord, considering as you have worn the item in question in the past. And I'm sure your sister knows that. But anyway, should she not be taught how it is appropriate for a lady of Phantomhive to behave?"

Ciel was too busy blustering to reply. He hadn't thought of that. Sebastian was right. Aurum said that the story of Sebastian and himself was well-known and that she herself enjoyed it immensely. If that was true, then she knew he'd worn a corset! And not just her, but numerous people of the future knew as well!

"Ah, shit," Ciel finally murmured, rubbing his forehead. "Tch. Fine. Make sure she learns to be a lady. But none of your teaching methods! Get some tutors who can either be bribed or threatened into being discreet about my sister's...ineptitude. If you can't, then and only then are you allowed to employ yourself as her tutor."

Sebastian smiled, his usual smile that betrayed a sort of dark amusement at the antics of humankind. He bowed, placing his hand over his chest. "Yes, my lord."

A loud crash interrupted the moment, causing the teacup on Ciel's desk to rattle. The sound was followed by Mey-rin's wailing, Finny's horrified shouting, and someone's gleeful laughter. Ciel sighed and got up, gesturing for Sebastian to follow him as he went to find the source of the sound.

"Well, I did say she'd probably make things more interesting around here," Ciel muttered to himself.


	2. His Butler, Moving Around Allergies

**A/N 'Sup, my lovelies, here's chapter two.**

* * *

 **Aurum**

 _By:_ thewhiteleovaldez

 _ **CHAPTER TWO**_

* * *

Ciel Phantomhive was not a morning person. He winced as he woke up and the sun hit him right in the eyes. He groaned in annoyance and rolled over, burying his face in his pillows. Suddenly he remembered something that made him jolt wide awake.

Ah, yes. His sister. She was here. His _sister_. Ciel was still unsure how he felt about having a sibling, an older sibling no less. He'd always been used to being an only child, and he knew little about how older siblings were supposed to act. The only older sibling he'd actually ever seen in action was Edward Midford, who acted protective of Elizabeth to the point of ridiculousness.

Ciel was shaken from his thoughts as his bedroom door opened and Sebastian entered, pushing the tea cart in front of him.

"Good morning, my lord." Sebastian said, walking over to open the curtains all the way. "I trust you slept well?"

"I trust that the kitchen is fully repaired?" Ciel retorted, sitting up with a huff. "Who knew that my sister could be so destructive?"

"Well, she _is_ a Phantomhive," Sebastian chuckled. "And, to be fair, she was not the one who actually set off the dynamite. That would be Baldroy, I think."

"Either way, it's slightly disturbing," Ciel mused as Sebastian poured him his tea. "Earl Grey?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord."

"Yes, well, anyway, it's slightly disturbing," Ciel said again, breathing in the steam. "She seemed so very happy to see the kitchen destroyed. That, and she said she loved explosions and walked around the kitchen muttering to herself about destruction and death."

Sebastian, who was of course aware of this, listened to his lord patiently, waiting for Ciel to get to his point. Ciel sipped his tea a few times before speaking again.

"I can't say that I'm exactly comfortable with a sister of mine enjoying my kitchens being destroyed. If she likes explosions, she can learn to shoot. She _is_ a Phantomhive, after all. She can learn to defend herself and channel her destruction into something somewhat fruitful."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said. "Should I instruct Mey-Rin to teach Lady Phantomhive?"

"Yes. That will do." Ciel finished his tea, and Sebastian, who had been getting out his lord's clothes, commenced dressing him.

"What is on my schedule today, Sebastian?" Ciel asked as his butler buttoned up the last of his buttons.

"There is breakfast with Lady Phantomhive in half an hour in the main dining room. Marchioness Midford arranged to visit today at one with her children, but if you think it to be prudent, we can cancel. Do _you_ think your aunt and cousins should meet your sister?"

"Well, she'd be wanting to meet them eventually. She told me she knew everything about us and those who we acquaint with. If my sister is going to be a full Phantomhive, then our family should get accustomed to that fact."

"My lord, are you perhaps starting to warm up to your sister?" Sebastian paused in the act of buckling Ciel's shoes and looked up at his master with that oh-so-innocent expression.

"No." Ciel lied flatly. "She's still incredibly annoying. And strange."

"Oh, well," Sebastian chuckled, continuing in his task. "She did grow up almost a hundred years in the future."

* * *

Ciel tapped his fork against his plate absentmindedly, watching his sister. She was still wearing that God-awful eye makeup, though she'd apparently had her clothes washed during the night. Sebastian's work, no doubt. Her grin had dissipated when she'd sat down at the table across from Ciel, surveying the several dishes placed on the table. She'd served herself (like someone of the lower class!) some stewed apples and sat pushing them around the plate.

"Is something the matter?" Ciel asked sharply, not looking at her.

Aurum looked up, her eyes full of nervousness. "Um...I hate to be trouble, but...I have allergies."

Ciel looked at her again, noting the way she watched the dishes on the table, as though she could stare them into telling her what they contained.

"Food allergies," Aurum explained. "I can't eat anything with eggs in it. If I do, I'll swell up and die."

"Hm," Ciel said. "Sebastian?" He thought Aurum was most likely exaggerating a bit, but it wouldn't do to feed his sister things that would make her sick.

"My apologies, Lady Phantomhive," Sebastian said. "I was not aware of your allergies. If I may ask, what is the severity of your allergies?"

"Well, the doctor said on a scale of zero to six, it was a high six, and if I ate any more eggs, she'd have to give me an epipen."

Sebastian nodded. "If you'll excuse me, I will be right back with some breakfast that you can eat." He disappeared out the door, and Ciel was left alone with his sister.

"What's an epipen?" he asked as soon as the door shut behind Sebastian.

"Oh, sorry. I keep using terms you don't know." Aurum leaned over her plate with her elbows on the table (seriously? Did she have no manners at all?). "An epipen is a needley thing filled with some kind of medicine that someone with really bad allergies has to carry, so if they have an allergic reaction, they or someone else can take the cap off the needle and put the medicine right in their blood so they don't die."

Ciel stared at her. "Needley thing."

"What?"

"You have very non descriptive speech."

Aurum shrugged. "My brain works too fast for me to think of the right words for things, because by the time I would have thought of the right word, I'm already thinking about something new." She paused for a moment. "I don't know if you people in this time have a word for it, but I have something that in my time we call ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder. It basically means that I'm super easily distracted and have a short attention span anyway. Well, sometimes. Other times I'll be so focused that I won't be able to pay attention to anything else."

"I see," Ciel nodded.

"Oh, Ciel, I have a question."

"Yes, what is it?"

"What was the last mission you took from the Queen?"

Ciel stared at his sister. "Why do you want to know?" he asked, perhaps a bit harsher than necessary, but he wasn't used to speaking of his missions to anyone except Sebastian and the Queen herself.

Aurum set her hands in her lap and looked down at them while she answered. "I was just wondering when in the story I came in. I guess my question could also be who have you met recently who has stayed a part of your life whether you want them to or not?"

Ciel wasn't quite sure what to think about that. "I don't suppose you could be a bit more specific about your questions?"

"Uh, alright." Aurum thought for a moment. "Have you solved the Jack the Ripper case?"

"Yes," Ciel said flatly.

"Have you met Prince Soma?"

"Oh, God," Ciel groaned. "Yes."

Aurum beamed. "I like him. He's so cheerful! Has he met Lizzie?"

"No, why?" Ciel asked, confused.

"I just think they'd be really good friends," Aurum said with a bit of a sigh, her eyes shining again. "Okay. Has the Queen given you any jobs after Soma?"

"No," Ciel said.

"No?" Aurum asked mischievously. "You haven't gotten any...tickets, maybe? For, oh, I don't know, the circus? The Noah's Ark Circus?"

Ciel frowned at her. "How did you know about those?"

Aurum shrugged. "I told you, I know everything." She paused. "Well, maybe not everything. I never got past volume twenty-three," she sighed sadly.

"Volume twenty-three of what, if I may be so bold?" Sebastian asked, coming back into the room with a tray of something steaming.

"Black Butler," Aurum answered, craning her neck to see what it was that was on the tray.

"Would I be correct in assuming that this 'Black Butler' is the story of the young master and myself that you seem to be so fond of?"

" _Yes_ in _deed_ ," Aurum said, happily starting to eat. "Apparently there's twenty-five volumes so far, but I ordered mine from the public library so there was a super-long wait. So I've only gotten through volume twenty-three." She giggled suddenly. "My favorite part was the carriage scene," she said with an evil grin, flicking her eyes between Ciel and Sebastian in what Ciel thought was a very unsettling way.

"And what was the 'carriage scene?'" Sebastian asked with faux-innocence, smiling faintly.

Aurum laughed. "Well, it might amuse _you_ , but Ciel would probably flip his lid and yell at both of us if I told you."

Ciel was horribly curious, but he also had an awful hunch that this was somehow connected to what Aurum had said the day before, about people "shipping" him and Sebastian in a romantic and/or sexual relationship. Ciel blushed at the thought. He had no idea how he felt about that.

"Aha, you're starting to get it," Aurum nodded at Ciel's blush, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Wait, so I was right?" Ciel demanded. "This _is_ about shipping?"

"C'mon, you're a smart boy. I knew you'd figure it out." Aurum put another bite into her mouth and chewed it with satisfaction, watching Ciel's expression change numerous times within the space of a few seconds.

"I think I just lost my appetite," Ciel declared, pushing away his plate. Sebastian chuckled, and Ciel glared at him.

"Mind your place, dog."

Aurum laughed at both of them. "So is anything exciting happening today?" she asked. Ciel noted again her American accent and added it to his mental list of things that needed to be fixed if she was going to fit in.

"Well, first of all, I have decided that you are going to learn to shoot," Ciel said.

"Really?" Awesome," Aurum said happily. "Y'know, I always wanted to learn to shoot back home. I had sort of this half-formed idea of joining the military someday, see."

"Wonderful. Sebastian will arrange for Mey-Rin to teach you."

"Oh, fabulous," Aurum said. "She's your sharpshooter, isn't she?"

"...Yes," Ciel answered. "Anyway, has that been figured out yet, Sebastian?"

"No, my lord. It would seem that Mey-Rin has been busy all morning. I will ask her as soon as I get the chance."

"Very well. In other events, our aunt, the Marchioness of Midford will be arriving today for a visit with Elizabeth and Edward, our cousins."

Aurum burst out laughing. "She's going to hate me, isn't she? I'm sloppy and messy, and while I may be proud of these things, I know that she's not."

"Yes. Also, there will be Elizabeth. I bet she'll like you, she likes most people. Just prepare yourself to be suffocated."

"Y'know, I always thought that Lizzie was kinda annoying. Until we got to the Campania arc. Turns out she's actually a boss ass bitch," Aurum said, nodding to herself.

Ciel stared at her. "...Excuse me? What did you just call her?"

"Boss ass bitch?" Aurum blushed. "Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting. Boss ass bitch is a compliment. Usually. When I call Lizzie that, I mean that's she's really strong and independent and I hold a lot of respect for her."

Ciel sighed. "Just don't call her that to her face, and _please_ , if you do, _don't_ say it in front of our aunt."

"'Kay. And Sebastian, I can tell you're trying not to laugh."

Ciel turned to glare at Sebastian, who had swallowed his laughter by that point.

"Anyway, they'll be here at one. There are some things we need to go over."

Aurum set aside her fork. "I'm listening."

"You need to wear a dress. They're going to be expecting a lady of Phantomhive, not a girl from...wherever it is you came from."

"Oregon."

"Fine. I don't care if you wear a corset with it or not, but the Marchioness will likely be able to notice if you're not wearing one."

"I don't wear corsets. And if I'm gonna wear a dress, it better not have any petticoats."

"...Sure. I don't care right now, but eventually that will need to be discussed further."

Aurum made a face. "Whatever."

"Also, you know what happens with secrets, do you not? Don't just blurt out anything weird, alright?"

"Weird, meaning?"

"Don't tell anyone you're from the future. Don't mention Sebastian's true nature. Don't say anything about my missions for the Queen, past or future. Don't say anything about why we really have the other servants. I don't think there's anything I'm missing. Sebastian?"

"Will Lady Phantomhive's American accent be a problem, sir?"

"I don't think so. We'll just tell them she was raised there. Which she was. Just...technically not now."

"Should I also stay quiet about the existence of shipping?" Aurum asked with a dead-pan expression.

"Is that a joke?!" Ciel demanded after a moment.

"Maybe not a very funny one," Aurum chuckled. "About the humor of the future, much to learn, you still have, little brother."

Ciel still didn't know how he felt about Aurum addressing him like that, so he scowled at her and shook his head. "Very well."


	3. His Butler, Detesting The Dressmaker

**A/N 'Sup, smol humans, here's chapter three. I'll be doing my shoutouts and review replies before the chapters from now on, just a heads-up.**

 **Shoutouts:**

 **Yaoilover4746, promocat, thanks for the story follows! Gratefuls to you.**

 **, you're not just following the story but me, too?! Aww *blushy face* Big thank you!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **promocat: Indeed, different it is! And really? I've never actually read a serious Kuroshitsuji fic before, just Sebaciel one-shots usually, so at least someone knows.**

* * *

 **Aurum**

 _By:_ thewhiteleovaldez

 ** _CHAPTER THREE_**

* * *

"It's somewhat urgent." Ciel Phantomhive spoke into the phone on his desk. "No, that won't be necessary. And Miss Hopkins? I trust you will be discreet. Yes. What? No, I am not having an affair!" Ciel slammed the phone back onto its cradle with a huff of indignation.

"That woman is infuriating," he said to no one in particular. He checked the clock. It was about ten now. Nina Hopkins would take maybe an hour to arrive, then the fitting and sewing would take perhaps another hour. Nina worked fast. Then there'd be another hour until the Marchioness would arrive. Ciel sighed. Should he warn his aunt beforehand? Probably.

Ciel picked up the phone again and dialed the number of the Midford house. A servant answered.

"This is the Midford household, with whom did you wish to speak?"

"This is Ciel Phantomhive, I need to speak with the Marchioness, please."

"One moment."

There was a silence on the other end for several minutes. Ciel entertained himself by counting the books on the shelf across from him. Finally a sharp female voice spoke on the other end.

"Ciel. To what do I owe the pleasure, nephew?"

"Good morning, aunt. I was calling because I have a bit of a question. Were you possibly aware of any relationships my father had before he courted my mother?"

The Marchioness was silent for just a moment. "Yes, Ciel. Your father courted a young lady of a non-noble bloodline for several months. Of course, as she was common, he broke it off and pretended it had never happened. The incident is a secret, though, if you take my meaning."

"Well, aunt, I'm sorry to say it's not a secret anymore."

"Whatever do you mean?" Francis's voice grew sharper.

"My sister is here at the manor with me."

"Your _sister_?!"

"Yes. She is sixteen years old. Her name is Aurum, and from what she has told me, she was raised in America before she was informed of her parentage and sent here."

"How dare she. She has no right to come and sully the Phantomhive name. Why can't she just stay with her mother?"

"She has never known her mother. She has nowhere else to go."

The Marchioness made a noise of frustration.

Ciel's voice dropped a bit. "Aunt, Aurum is my sister. She is a Phantomhive, and I will see to it that she is treated as such."

"So you have accepted her despite the fact that she is living proof of your father's lack of self-control and decorum?"

"I suppose the next card you will play is that Aurum is the result of a sin?" Ciel's voice was ice-cold. "Please, aunt. You were born a Phantomhive, too. You know what we are. Sin has no place in any conversation about the Phantomhives. Yes, appearances must be kept, but it wasn't Aurum's fault. My word stands."

"...Very well. I suppose all I have left to say is make sure that she is presentable."

"Whooo!" A loud shriek of excitement sounded from down the stairs, followed by the sound of running footsteps up the stairs and down the hall towards Ciel's study.

"Cieeeel! Ciel, guess what?!"

"Is that her?" the Marchioness inquired.

"Yes. I have to go. I will see you later today." Ciel hung up just as Aurum burst through the door, holding something small up in the air with a triumphant grin.

"Ciel, guess what I discovered?!"

"What is it, Aurum? I'm trying to get some work done," Ciel said, shuffling some papers on his desk.

"My phone still works! It doesn't have any service on it or WiFi or anything but everything else works!" Aurum waved the thing in her hand around happily. Ciel stared at it.

"That...is a phone?"

"Yep." Aurum came over and deposited the small device on Ciel's desk. Ciel leaned over to inspect it. It was rectangular, maybe five inches long and three inches across. The front of it was glowing, and Ciel watched with interest when Aurum tapped it and the picture on it changed.

"I've got so much music on here, and fanart too, you would not believe." Aurum tapped a few other things, and Ciel was faced with a picture of himself holding a handgun, a white flower on his lapel. Aurum swiped her finger across the screen, and that picture was replaced with-

"What the hell is that?!" Ciel spluttered, his face turning red again. Aurum snatched away the phone.

"Sorry, that's Sebaciel."

"I can't believe you enjoy such things," Ciel grumbled. Aurum was smiling fondly at the phone.

"Sorry, I can't help it, I'm a fujoshi. And from what I've seen, Mey-Rin is one, too."

Ciel stared at his sister. "What's a fujoshi?"

"A girl who likes to watch or read or listen to gay stuff in anime."

"So stuff like that?"

"Yes."

"Good God."

"Oh, please, Ciel. I bet the next thing you're gonna tell me is that I need Jesus." Aurum was sitting on the edge of Ciel's desk, swinging her legs as she spoke. "I don't believe in God," she said offhand. "However I do believe in nature spirits, and, as you've seen, demons."

"You better not tell anyone else that you don't believe in God." Ciel rubbed his forehead. He'd decided that it was better to just go with any of the strange things his sister said or did.

"Oh, also, Ciel...um. You haven't seen Grell again since William took her away?"

Ciel looked up to stare at his sister. Images of the red reaper flashed though his head. "Do you mean that Grim Reaper who killed Madame Red?"

"Yes."

"First of all, no, I have not seen him and I hope never to again. Second of all, why are you calling him a her?"

Aurum seemed to swell up with indignation. "Well, first of all," she started, mimicking Ciel, "you're going to see _her_ much more in the future. And second of all, she's a she because she is! She says she's a girl, okay, she's a girl!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ciel said. "Someone cannot just be a gender because they say they are. I couldn't just suddenly say that I'm a girl."

"Yeah, you could, and I'd still love you anyway," Aurum retorted. "Honestly, Ciel, you have a demon! Surely you know about these things."

"No, I don't, and why would having a demon tell me about them?" Ciel was surprised that Aurum had said she loved him, but he was too distracted to pay much attention to it.

"Demons are shape-changers, right? Sebastian can change his appearance."

"Can he?"

"Yes. He could turn into a cat, or a mouse, or a deer, or a woman. And even if he did change into any of those things, he would still be Sebastian, wouldn't he?"

"I suppose," Ciel muttered.

"Yeah. It's like that. Also, from what I've read about demons, their gender isn't determined by body parts. It's determined by something else, and apparently there's never been any human words that can describe it. But that's fine, 'cause there are plenty of people who don't need to know the words. You see, where I come from, I hang out with a bunch of people who believe that before being a girl or a boy or rich or poor or white or dark-skinned or Asian or anything, you're a person. At least half of my friends don't want to be a girl or a boy, so they're not. A few of my friends are boys in the bodies of girls. I've always loved Grell because she lived in Victorian times and earlier and yet wasn't afraid to show herself for who she is."

" _She's_ a crazy, murderous psychopath," Ciel grumbled.

"Maybe, maybe. But do you know how Grim Reapers are made?"

"No. Do I want to?"

Aurum shook her head and sighed. "Ciel, be a little more nice, 'kay? Grim Reapers are made when a human commits suicide. When they die, their punishment is to live forever and watch other people's lives and deaths."

"Oh."

"See?" Aurum poked him. "You don't know everything."

"Bugger off. I never said I did," Ciel retorted, shoving his sister's hand away. He glanced at the clock. "Okay, now you should probably go. I really do have to get some work done before Miss Hopkins arrives."

"Ooh, Nina Hopkins?" Aurum pushed off the desk and bounced happily towards the door. "She's the lesbian dressmaker, isn't she?"

"What's lesbian?"

"It means she's attracted to women, not men."

"...I suppose. I had quite a bit of trouble convincing her to come make you dresses. She usually only makes clothes for people under the age of fifteen."

"Oh, I know. Thanks, Ciel." Aurum blew him a kiss and disappeared out the door.

* * *

"Ugh, I hate paperwork," Ciel muttered as he finished yet another page of the stuff. The door opened, and Ciel looked up to see Sebastian with the tea trolley.

"Oh, good, tea," Ciel said. "I was just about to ring for some."

"My lord," Sebastian said, pouring the tea. "I detected a strong upsurge in the intensity of your thoughts about me about three-quarters of an hour ago. Was everything alright?"

"Yes. Everything was fine. My sister was just...being herself, I suppose." Ciel tried hard not to think about the picture she'd shown him. He was still unsure how he felt about...that. The picture had been himself and Sebastian, locked in a kiss, while Sebastian's hand was in the process of removing Ciel's clothes.

"I see. Incidentally, she was just standing on the railings to the stairs, singing at the top of her voice about defying gravity."

"Did she jump?"

"No, it would seem that staying up was the whole point of the matter. She had strange black devices connected to her ears, and when I asked her what they were she said that they were called earbuds and that one listens to music with them."

"Hm." Ciel sipped his tea. "She was up here a while ago telling me that she had music on her phone, whatever that meant. It would seem that the earbuds were also connected to the phone."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian paused, then continued. "Might I ask why Nina Hopkins is driving up to the manor?"

"Oh, good. She's here." Ciel sipped his tea again. "I have employed her services in dressing my sister properly."

"I detest that woman," Sebastian muttered, knowing Ciel could hear.

Ciel grinned. "Oh, I know. Also, my aunt and cousins will be here at one, as you know. I plan on having a late lunch with them. See to it, will you?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Have you spoken to Mey-Rin yet?"

"Yes. She is quite amenable to the idea."

"Very good. Now how close is Miss Hopkins?"

A loud knocking sounded at the front door to the manor. Sebastian smiled.

"That would be her. Now if you'll excuse me, my lord." Sebastian bowed and left, and after a moment, Ciel followed.

* * *

Ciel found Aurum, Sebastian, Mey-Rin, and Nina Hopkins in his sister's bedroom. Nina was in the middle of circling Aurum like a hawk when Ciel walked in. Nina pounced.

"Earl, I'm guessing that this is the girl you want me to dress?"

"Yes, Miss Hopkins. This is my sister, Aurum Phantomhive."

"Your sister, you say?" Nina darted back over to Aurum. "She's very pretty, aren't you, girl?"

"I dunno," Aurum muttered. She seemed to be moving in such a way as to keep her rear end out of Nina's reach. Ciel guessed Nina had already groped her.

"Miss Hopkins, I trust that you'll afford my sister the same amount of respect you'd give to me?" Ciel said sternly.

"Oh, of course, of course," Nina said, waving a hand. "Now for the measurements!" she almost sang, pulling out a measuring tape and descending on the squirming Aurum. "You know, your brother said you were sixteen, but look at you! You don't look a day over fourteen!" Nina said happily, forcefully moving Aurum into the positions she wanted. "Maybe a little chubby fourteen…" Nina mused.

Aurum blushed. "Hey, it's not my fault I got the curvy genes!" she argued. "Besides, what does it matter?"

"Because I'll be using more fabric for this dress," Nina said. "And usually we'd want a dress to be form-fitting, but not when you're like this."

"Hey, hey, hey, no fat-shaming." Aurum shook a finger in Nina's face. "Besides, I'm not even medically overweight. My calorie distribution is just a little different. So yes, Miss Hopkins, this dress will be form-fitting. And it will in no way, shape or form be pink! Do you understand?"

Nina blinked. Ciel could see that no one had ever talked to her like that before.

"Y-yes, Lady Phantomhive," Nina stuttered before going back to her measurements, a little more gentle this time. Ciel could see Sebastian's smile. Sebastian was quite pleased that someone had finally put Nina in her place. Mey-Rin was grinning happily, and nodded her approval at Aurum.

When Nina was done measuring Aurum, she disappeared to do her sewing, and Sebastian went down to the kitchens to prepare lunch. Ciel sat down next to Aurum.

"Well done. I've never seen Nina Hopkins speechless before."

"Yes, Lady, you did somefin' good, yes you did," Mey-Rin chimed in from where she was picking up Nina's assorted measuring tapes.

"Yes, well, _mutiny_!" Aurum cried happily, thrusting her fist into the air. " _In_ subordination! I wasn't about to let her have a go at me, was I?"

"Nina is very strong-willed," Ciel said. "It would take someone with a will to match to make her shut up."

"Aww, Ciel, are you calling me stubborn?" Aurum put her arm around Ciel's shoulders and nuzzled her head against his.

"Get off! No, I was merely saying that most Phantomhives are incredibly strong-willed. Look at our aunt, for goodness sake."

"Lookit you," Aurum giggled. "You're the most stubborn little boy I've ever met."

"Don't call me little! You're only a few centimetres taller than I am!"

"Yeah, but you're wearing heels," Aurum pointed out.

"That's not relevant," Ciel sputtered. Aurum smiled and put both her arms around Ciel, drawing him into a hug.

"It doesn't really matter, Ciel. I love you, little brother."

"Don't call me little." Ciel extricated himself from his sister's grasp. "And what're you smiling for?"

Mey-Rin squeaked and scuttled off to deliver the measuring tapes to Nina Hopkins.

"Aw Ciel, don't scare the servants," Aurum snickered.

"I daresay I have the right to."

The two sat in silence for several minutes, quietly enjoying each other's company. Ciel was still unsure about Aurum telling him that she loved him. Yes, it was what siblings were supposed to do, but Ciel had never known his sister. And admittedly, she knew more about him than he knew about her, but did that really mean that she loved him? Ciel didn't know.

"Aurum?"

"Yeah?"

Ciel chickened out. "Sebastian said that you were standing on the stair railings, singing. Why?"

"Because I could."

"That seems a strange reason to do things. Is there another reason?"

"Yeah. I couldn't get onto the roof," Aurum said with a laugh. "I couldn't find the right doors."

"Why would you sing on the roof?" Ciel inquired with some confusion.

"Why wouldn't I sing on the roof?" Aurum returned with a smile. "It's sunny, I bet the roof is dry, and it would feel nice. You know, I think you need to get out more."

"I get out plenty." Ciel frowned at his sister.

"Now, Ciel, going out on missions doesn't count. You need to just go outside for the fun of it."

"I have allergies."

"To cats."

"Cats live outside."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes I'm...wait. Do you know something I don't know?" Ciel frowned suspiciously at Aurum.

Aurum grinned. "Yes, I do," she agreed easily. "I know lots of things you don't know."

"I meant about cats."

"Probably."

"Are there cats in this manor?"

"Not right _now_ ," Aurum giggled. "But there will be," she said in a sing-song.

"You are insufferable."

"I don't know what that means but I probably am."

Ciel sighed. "Alright. Fine. You keep your secrets. Anyway, I'm sorry for Nina's rudeness."

Aurum waved him off. "Eh, it's fine. I'm cool with my weight anyway. I wonder where the curvy genes came from though? Probably my mom. I still haven't seen a curvy Phantomhive. Guess I'm the first!" Aurum beamed. Ciel found himself smiling. He was shocked at himself and his features instantly returned to a scowl. Aurum's cheerfulness was contagious, it would seem. Ciel hadn't smiled in a long time.

"Hey, there's even a song for this!" Aurum jumped up and started to prance around the room, singing. "Because you know I'm all about dat bass, 'bout that bass, no treble. I'm all about dat bass, 'bout that bass, no treble."

"Okay, okay," Ciel said, and he found himself smiling again. He checked the clock. It was about noon. "I sincerely hope that Miss Hopkins is almost finished," he said.

"No lace, _I_ sincerely hope," Aurum said, flopping down next to Ciel again. "The only place _I_ will ever wear lace is on a choker and if it's black."

"Must we discuss lace?"

"I wouldn't think you'd mind, seeing how many times you've worn a dress."

Ciel blushed. "It was only once!" he argued.

"Really? Really really?" Aurum smirked. "I don't think so."

Ciel stared at her in horror. "You don't mean to say…"

He was interrupted by the door flying open and Nina Hopkins striding through, carrying with her what she'd called her "latest masterpiece."


	4. His Butler, Observant

**A/N 'Sup homos, here's chapter four.**

 **Shoutouts:**

 **Dog And Ghost Whisperer, thank you for the favorite and follow!**

 **ciel . bean, I'm sorry about last chapter, the site thought your username was a website so it blocked it. But I want to say thanks for not just following the story, but me too! 3 Much love.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **promocat: Heh heh heh, she does? I was just having her say what I'd say around them haha.**

* * *

 **Aurum**

 _By:_ thewhiteleovaldez

 _ **CHAPTER FOUR**_

* * *

" _Cieeeeeeel_ l!"

Ciel Phantomhive braced himself as his fiance threw herself at him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Elizabeth," the Earl gasped out. "I can't...breathe!"

"Oh, Ciel, I'm so sorry." Elizabeth Midford loosened her grip a little but didn't let go. That is, she didn't let go until her mother grabbed her by the elbow and forcibly removed her from Ciel.

"Control yourself, Elizabeth," Francis Midford scolded. Edward Midford scowled at Ciel, no doubt blaming him for Elizabeth's enthusiasm.

"But I missed Ciel so _much_ ," Elizabeth whined.

"That is no excuse," the Marchioness said firmly. "Good afternoon, nephew," she greeted Ciel. "I trust you are doing well?"

"As well as can be expected, aunt, considering the subject of our phone call this morning," Ciel replied.

"I still say that distraction is no excuse for sloppiness," Francis said, casting a stern eye over Ciel and curling her lip at Sebastian. "Your butler certainly has the same air as before."

After a few moments, during which Ciel and Sebastian had had their appearances "fixed," Ciel led his aunt and cousins to the drawing room.

"I can't believe you have a sister, Ciel," Elizabeth said happily. "I'm so _excited_ to meet her!"

"She was pleased when I told her you'd be visiting today," Ciel said, pausing in front of the door. From inside, he could hear his sister singing again, and he felt his heart sink when he realized what sort of a song she was singing.

"Oh, my mind was beating, my heart was keeping beats as we're moving, woo ooh, we both knew what was coming it was coming quick, a bumpin' and a grindin' and a lickety split, Oh, no sense pretending no you want what you want and I know it, woo, ooh, Oh I'm losin' track 'cause baby we don't stop, is it your turn or my turn, to be on top, so come on-"

Ciel threw open the doors. "Aurum!"

Aurum stopped singing and pulled out her earbuds. "Hey, Ciel."

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?" Ciel demanded, blushing slightly. His sister had just been singing a dirty song. In full earshot of himself, his aunt, his fiance, and his cousin.

"Is there anything else I should say?" Aurum's smile started to waver.

"Aurum, do you know who this is?" Ciel said through gritted teeth, gesturing to his aunt.

"Yep." Aurum sat up from where she's been lying on the floor quite contentedly. "Marchioness Francis Midford, née Phantomhive, our aunt, and the biggest neat-freak since Captain Levi of the Survey Corps." She bounced up to her feet and went over, holding out her hand. "Pleased to meet you."

Marchioness Midford stared at her niece for several long, awkward moments, in which Ciel was sure Francis would begin yelling at Aurum. Edward and Elizabeth watched with apprehension as well. They knew what sort of person their mother was. Finally the Marchioness burst out laughing and grasped Aurum's hand quite firmly, giving it a solid shake.

"I must say, I had my doubts, but I like a woman who speaks her mind." Francis eyed Aurum thoughtfully. "Despite your other...faults." Aurum grinned and shook her hips a tiny bit, emphasizing the lack of a corset.

"Just be glad I wasn't singing something by Kesha," Aurum said with a wink, before moving on to her cousins. "Lizzie! It's so good to finally meet you! Oh my God your dress is so cute!" Aurum gushed, giving Elizabeth a big hug. Elizabeth seemed slightly confused, but she beamed with happiness at the compliment.

"Hello, Aurum! I'm happy to meet you too! Your dress is pretty but," Lizzie wrinkled her nose," it's not cute."

Aurum laughed. "No, it's not cute, thank God." Aurum's dress was a deep, dark blue, with a black stomacher that had horizontal lines of black lace on it. True to Aurum's threats, she wore no corset, petticoats, or underskirts with it, so it clung to her legs as she moved. Edward scowled at the sight.

"Good afternoon, cousin," he said to Aurum curtly, shaking the hand she offered.

"Edward," Aurum said with false-coldness, mimicking his tone. "A pleasure. I hope your studies at Weston College are going well?"

"Well enough."

"You're so _boring_ , Edward," Elizabeth sighed at her brother, making a face.

"Well, what am I supposed to say, Lizzie?"

"Tell her about what happened!" Lizzie turned to Aurum. "Edward is _such_ a good student, he got to be the prefect of his house!" Lizzie's smile was almost blinding.

"I know," Aurum muttered, just loud enough for Ciel to hear, before smiling again. "Well, congratulations, cousin."

"What's kesha?" Francis asked Ciel in an undertone while Aurum, Edward and Elizabeth talked.

"I have no clue, aunt," Ciel answered with a sigh. "Aurum says the strangest things sometimes and I don't understand them. It must be an American thing."

* * *

Ciel was slightly mortified. Aurum's table manners hadn't exactly fazed him when it was just them, but he could see Francis's judgment with every elbow on the table, every word with food in her mouth, and every misuse of a fork.

"Yeah, but I don't see why that's a _thing_ ," Aurum was saying to Elizabeth. "It seems kinda creepy, if you ask me."

Elizabeth chewed and swallowed before answering. "But Aurum, it's simply _all the rage_ right now. Everyone simply _must_ have one."

Aurum looked unconvinced. "And here I thought you British would be less into creepy witchy stuff by now."

"Aurum!" Lizzie looked profoundly shocked. "It's not _witchy_! I don't even think that witchy is a _word_!"

"Hey, I got nothing against witchy stuff," Aurum defended, "but seriously? A puppet made to look like you? That is where I draw the line."

"Oh, Aurum," Elizabeth sighed disappointedly.

"Lizzie." Aurum's voice was slightly softer. "Are you _sure_ it's the best idea?"

Ciel caught the tone in Aurum's voice. He tapped his fork to get her attention and raised an eyebrow at her, cutting his eyes in Elizabeth's direction. Aurum nodded, then subtly decapitated a carrot on her plate. Ciel made a mental note to keep Lizzie away from any puppet-makers.

"Of course it's a good idea, cousin," Edward said to Aurum. "I think Lizzie should have one."

"I think you need to look to yourself before you try to improve other people's lives," Aurum said offhandedly.

Edward paled. Francis glared at Aurum. Ciel shook his head at Aurum, trying to tell her that such a thing was bad manners. Aurum caught his look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Edward," Aurum said. "I have a sort of habit of responding rather harshly to people. It's just the way that all my friends back home talked to each other, and I know that here it's not the thing. I'm trying to break that habit. Will you forgive me?"

Edward nodded at his plate, still looking a bit ill. The Marchioness cleared her throat.

"Might I ask, Aurum, where it is that you were brought up? Your friends, I am sorry to say, sound incredibly rude."

"America," Aurum said promptly. "In a town called Bend."

"Bend?" The Marchioness asked. "I've never heard of it."

"Yes, well, it's not very well-known," Aurum muttered, squirming slightly in her seat.

"Edward, are you well?" Francis asked her son, who had just stood up.

"Excuse me," Edward said, then left the room. Ciel noted that he had disappeared in the direction of the bathroom and gave Aurum a look. _What did you do?_ Aurum looked uncomfortable. She nodded at the door and then, with her spoon, smashed the end of another carrot into mush. Ciel was confused. Aurum sighed. _I'll explain later_ , her expression said.

"Oh, I do hope he's alright," Lizzie said.

The awkward moment was broken by the telephone ringing in the telephone closet down the hall. Sebastian, who had been watching the scene with some amused interest, disappeared to answer it. A moment later he returned.

"My lord, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you have a phone call. It's the dog-keeper."

That was their code for the Queen, and Ciel saw both Francis's and Aurum's expressions sharpen.

"Excuse me for a moment," Ciel said as he stood up. "I will return shortly." And with that he hurried into the telephone closet.

"Your Majesty," Ciel said into the phone. "What a surprise."

"No need for that, my boy," Queen Victoria said on the other end. "I was only calling to ask you if you'd go to the circus for me? Tell me all about what happens."

"I received your tickets, your Majesty. I've only been slightly delayed."

"By what?"

"Somebody's daughter."

"Who's daughter, my boy? I trust this isn't an affair," the Queen chuckled.

"No it is not, your Majesty, though you have most certainly not been the only person to ask that," Ciel said with a small bit of annoyance. "She is my father's daughter."

There was silence on the other end, for so long that Ciel was about to ask the Queen if she was alright. Then Victoria heaved a big sigh and chuckled a little into the phone.

"So she's been found."

"Wait...you knew?" Ciel was shocked.

"Oh, yes. When the girl's mother went to the police to tell them that her newborn daughter had been taken from the cradle on the night she was born, the Yard tracked the baby to the Phantomhive town house. I covered for my Guard Dog, of course, but I guessed that the baby was his daughter. And now she has returned? Where did he send her?"

"America."

"Understood. Well, my boy, congratulations on finding your sister. Is she to be treated as a full Phantomhive?"

Ciel knew what the Queen was really asking. "She knows about the leash, if that's what you are referring to, your Majesty."

"Did you tell her?"

"No."

"Hm. After you go to the circus, maybe you could bring her to meet me?"

Ciel hesitated. "Um…"

"What is it, my boy?"

"She is...unconventional."

"Even better. I shall expect to see her for tea soon after your circus trip."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Have fun, my boy." Queen Victoria hung up. Ciel placed the phone back on the cradle and took a deep breath.

"Are you alright, my lord?" Sebastian inquired.

"Perfectly fine," Ciel answered, starting back toward the dining room. When he slipped back into his seat, Lizzie and Aurum were discussing the benefits of lace. Aurum, despite vehemently condemning all lace that wasn't black, eyed Ciel in much the same way that the Marchioness was.

"I trust your kennels are secure?" Francis asked point-blank.

"Oh, yes," Ciel said. "The dog-keeper merely wanted to discuss the new addition to them, as well as the next hunt."

"Has the dog-keeper seen the latest addition yet?" Aurum asked.

"No," Ciel said, silently approving of how quickly Aurum had caught on about their double-speak. "It will be delivered to the dog-keeper after the next hunt."

Aurum nodded and went back to her conversation with Lizzie. Ciel was impressed by how unfazed Aurum seemed to be about meeting the Queen. Ciel surveyed his family with a slightly distant air. He was already planning his trip to the circus.


	5. His Butler, Absent

**A/N 'Sup my human beans, Chapter 5 up. Btw, I'm taking a short break from writing this story soon, I start work on Tuesday and my shift starts at 4:30 a.m. so I won't have time to write that day. Just a heads-up!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **promocat: hahaha yeah...also America in those days was a literal fucking mess. I'm taking American History right now so I KNOW. I KNOW THE THINGS. Also can I just take this opportunity to say thank you so much for reviewing so much? It means a lot to me and it makes me happy so thank you!**

 **Things to be noted: The song I used in this is called "Hurry Up And Save Me" by Tiffany Giardina, and I was actually listening to the male version of it when I wrote this chapter.**

* * *

 **Aurum**

 _By:_ thewhiteleovaldez

 _ **CHAPTER FIVE**_

* * *

Aurum Phantomhive slowly woke up to the sounds of the rain hitting the windows. She grinned when she remembered where she was and burrowed down further into her pillows. A thought hit her and her smile faded a little. Oh...Ciel wasn't here, was he?

Aurum sat up and sleepily blinked at the gray light of her room. It had been several days since the visit from her aunt and cousins, and Ciel and Sebastian had gone that evening to the circus. They hadn't come back, and Tanaka had informed Aurum that they'd stayed at the town house. Aurum already knew that, though…

She reached under her pillow and pulled out her phone. She put in her earbuds and shuffled her music before lying down again, snuggling up against her comforter. A small frown crossed her face as the song started playing.

 _I'm going through the same day_

 _Same place, same way I always do._

Damn it. This was her song for Sebastian and her brother. She couldn't really explain why she felt that this song described them so much, but she did.

 _Show me your colors_

 _Show me your colors_

 _'Cause without you I'm blue_

Aurum might love being here. She might love being a part of her favorite anime. But she couldn't deny that there were a lot of emotions involved. Ciel Phantomhive, as a boy of what, ten? Eleven? He had literally sold his soul to a devil. Now, the circumstances of that combined with the fact that it was necessary, added to the way Ciel acted, as someone much older than his thirteen years, would force a lot of emotions in any regular person. Aurum believed that true age had nothing to do with your chronological years of life. She believed that a person's true age was determined by what they'd seen, what they'd done, and by that reasoning, Ciel was actually a lot older than Aurum.

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _I just wanna feel alive_

 _And I do when I'm with you._

But Aurum wasn't just some random person anymore. She was a bastard child of a Victorian noble, and Ciel Phantomhive was her brother. She was embroiled in a situation of awful crimes and inhuman perpetrators and the fact that her brother, whom she loved, was going to die as soon as he exacted his revenge on the person who killed his parents. Ciel was torn between knowing how ruthless her brother was and being ripped apart emotionally by his youthful appearance and...well.

 _I have to have control of myself_

 _My thoughts, my mind_

 _'Cause the way it's going down in my life_

 _I feel like a prisoner_

Aurum was merely devastated that Ciel would never enjoy the good things in life. Well, less that he wouldn't but that he wouldn't allow himself to, because he knew he was going to die. He wouldn't really invest in his friendship with Prince Soma. Despite the loyalty that his servants had for him, he was like a brick wall when they tried to show that they cared about him. He wasn't exactly as nice to Lizzie as he should be, and Aurum didn't think it was because he wasn't in love with her. Well, clearly he wasn't, but he didn't want to get close to anyone. Aurum bet that was why he was still so distant with her, as well.

 _Show me your colors_

 _Show me your colors_

 _'Cause without you I'm blue_

And then there was Sebastian. Was he a demon? Yes. Was he evil? …...Aurum wasn't sure. Devils certainly were all kinds of what humans called evil...but. Aurum had seen so much of Sebastian becoming more and more human across both the manga and the anime. Aurum seemed to be in the middle of the storyline told by the manga, so she was hoping that Sebastian was more like he was in the manga. There were so many little moments. In the Book of Murder arc, when Finny had woken in the night and gone back to sleep without his blanket, Sebastian had replaced the blanket. That was a kind thing to do, and Aurum would have bet her last inch of eyeliner pencil that Sebastian wouldn't have done such a thing without being ordered when he first came to the manor. During the Easter Egg Hunt after Ciel had come back from Weston College, Sebastian had felt real fear when he thought Ciel couldn't breathe.

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _I just wanna feel alive_

 _And I do when I'm with you._

Little things like that. It was partly the reason that Aurum guessed that Sebastian was in love with Ciel. And partly the reason that Ciel was in love with Sebastian as well. Well...maybe not quite yet on his part. Well-Aurum smirked into her pillow-that and all those overtly sexual moments. And yes, maybe it was wrong for a thousands-of-years-old demon to be in love with a thirteen-year-old human boy, but things changed when the human was in love right back, right? Right?

 _My window's opened up_

 _Tonight I'm crawling out_

 _Will you be there waiting?_

 _Will you be there to save me?_

Besides...Sebastian loving Ciel was the only way to keep Ciel alive indefinitely. Maybe Ciel would someday order Sebastian to take his soul. Maybe Sebastian would put off fulfilling Ciel's revenge for years. But the fact didn't change that Sebastian didn't want Ciel to die. Aurum still wasn't sure why Sebastian had attempted to take Ciel's soul in Sieglinde Sullivan's castle, but she suspected that Sebastian's purpose had been to motivate Ciel to live. And he'd succeeded, if Aurum judged by the position they'd ended up in.

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _Hurry up and save me_

 _I just wanna feel alive_

 _And I do when I'm with you._

Aurum sat up again as the song ended and pulled her earbuds out. She wasn't in the mood for lying around anymore. She slid out of bed and padded over to the wardrobe. She opened it and half-heartedly tapped the back of it to see if a door to Narnia had opened. One hadn't, but with all the crazy stuff happening it didn't hurt to check. Aurum looked at the other dresses that Nina had made before leaving. One of them was just straight-up black, and it looked like something a vampire queen would wear. Aurum loved it. Another one was brown like chocolate, and really velvety and soft. The third one was dark green, like pine tree green, and though Aurum was slightly frustrated with the pink lace on the stomacher she had to admit that she liked the green. The clothes she'd come in were folded in the bottom of the wardrobe, and after a moment of deliberation Aurum pulled them out and put them on. She had plans today, and she didn't want to have a dress in the way.

* * *

Aurum flung open the door to the kitchen with a bang. Baldroy whipped around with a gun before relaxing.

"Oh, it's you, Lady Phantomhive. Hey, what do you think about-"

"No," Aurum said with finality, seeing what Baldroy held in his other hand. "Just no, Baldroy."

"Why?" Baldroy asked, putting down the flamethrower.

"Because Sebastian's not here to clean up the mess you were just about to make," Aurum answered, walking over to see what Baldroy had just been about to turn into charcoal. "What is that anyway?

"It was going to be lunch," Finny put in, coming in wet with an armful of firewood.

"What about breakfast?"

"Well, I just thought it'd be faster to do everything at once," Baldroy said sheepishly.

"Nope," Aurum said. "We don't need it faster, it's okay, Baldroy."

"Alright."

"Oh, Lady Phantomhive, good morning!" Mey-Rin had come into the kitchen, her arms full of cleaning rags.

"Morning, Mey-Rin. Hey guys, I was wondering something." The three servants turned to look at Aurum, and she took a minute to consider what she was going to say before continuing.

"What would you guys think of getting a pet?"

"Ey?" Finny was the only one who spoke.

"We can't get anyfin' wivout Master Ciel's permission," Mey-Rin said.

"Oh, he'll like this, trust me." Aurum grinned. "What do you guys say we go find a demon hound?"


	6. His Butler, Still Absent

**'Sup, human beans, today is a really short chapter and I apologize, it's literally just a filler chapter because of how tired I am. I'm sorry and I will write again soon! xoxo**

* * *

 **Aurum**

 _By:_ thewhiteleovaldez

 ** _CHAPTER SIX_**

* * *

Aurum Phantomhive was pleased with the way the whole situation had gone. Pluto the demon hound was not kept by anyone, and seemed happy enough when Aurum and company had shown up with a box of treats and a collar. They'd spent the day making friends with him, before Finny had attempted to collar him.

That hadn't gone well at all. Aurum had forgotten about Pluto's fire-breathing. Finny had ended up burned and crying. However, everything had been fine. As soon as Pluto saw that he'd hurt his new friend, he shifted to his human form and licked Finny's face, whining. Pluto had come quietly with them afterward, and was now happily snoozing away in one of the extra servant bedrooms.

Elizabeth had arrived while they were out, and Tanaka had had to deal with her on his own. Aurum knew, even as she apologized to him for being gone so long, that this meant that tonight the manor was going to be attacked by the circus members, and that they were all going to die. Aurum wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that. Had the circus members kidnapped a number of children and let them be turned into mindless slaves? Yes. Did those children die, both mentally and physically, because of that? Also yes. But Aurum wasn't sure that meant that the circus members should die.

But...she was a Phantomhive now. She supposed that meant that if anyone crossed the Phantomhives or attacked them...they would be punished. Swiftly and without mercy. That had been shown oh-so-many times. So before she went to bed she told Baldroy, Finny, and Mey-Rin that the manor would be attacked that night. In the double-speak that only implied it, of course. But they were Phantomhive servants. They understood, and only gave her a look of surprise before hurrying away to get ready. Finny, though, asked her how she knew.

"I can't tell you that, Finny, I'm sorry," Aurum had said, then, "wake me up if you need anything once it starts." She had no clue what help she could possibly offer, but she was determined to do something.

And so it was that Aurum Phantomhive woke up when the sound of a crashing window far down the hall reached her ears.

"What the hell?" she muttered before waking up fully. She heard Elizabeth's worried voice coming from the room she was staying in, then Tanaka's reassuring voice.

"Oh," Aurum said. So Peter and Wendy had just died. Then Mey-Rin was on the roof, Finny was still outside somewhere, and Baldroy was in the front hall. Aurum slid out of bed and threw open her curtains, realizing too late that this made her a target if Beast and Dagger were still outside. She ducked at once, crouching under the window sill in her nightshirt, wondering if they were going to attack her. When nothing happened, she risked a glance outside.

Mey-Rin was running into the attic, and a loud crash came from downstairs. Aurum decided not to interfere and slid down the wall, sitting on her heels as she listened to the rest of the fight happen. Finally, after oh-so-many noises of destruction, the entire mansion shook with the explosion in the kitchen. Aurum glanced out the window again. Baldroy, Finny, and Mey-Rin were standing in the garden, talking seriously about something. Eventually they went back inside, after taking the bodies of the circus members away. The manor was quiet again. However, Aurum couldn't shake a feeling that that was not the only exciting thing that was to occur in the house that night. She couldn't sleep.

Aurum remembered something that had been mentioned in the manga. Grim Reapers could only be seen by someone who was very close to death or had been marked for death, right? An exception seemed to be the Phantomhives, not only because the Undertaker had a necklace with Ciel's grandmother's name on it, but the Grim Reapers in Germany had had her name on a list. Aurum didn't take the fact that Ciel could see the Reapers as an exception, because Ciel was definitely marked for death. Literally. However, she did wonder about herself.

Why?

Because she could hear Grell Sutcliffe talking to herself outside on the roof.


	7. His Butler, Continuously Absent

**'Sup. I'm back. Sort of. Had a bad night so I decided to de-stress by writing. So here's chapter 7!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **promocat: An interesting idea. I haven't decided yet.**

* * *

 **Aurum**

 _By:_ thewhiteleovaldez

 _ **CHAPTER SEVEN**_

* * *

Aurum Phantomhive slipped out onto the roof in slippered feet. She was wearing a dressing gown she'd nicked from Ciel's wardrobe. Because honestly, they were more or less the same size. Grell saw Aurum before Aurum saw Grell.

"Ugh, no, Bassy, why-who are you?"

Aurum looked up to where Grell was perched on the cupola.

"Hi, Grell. I'm Aurum."

"How do you know my name?" Grell asked, leaping down and circling Aurum. "You're not on my death list."

"Nah. I'm Ciel's sister."

"The Phantomhive brat has a sister? I thought he had no siblings." Grell stopped and surveyed Aurum with her head cocked to one side. "You're _sure_ you're not marked for death? I could kill you now, if that would help," she offered.

"What is it with you, girl?" Aurum demanded. "You just can't go around killing people not on the death list."

"Oh, Madam Red was just a fluke," Grell retorted, tossing her hair to the side.

"Mhm," Aurums said, unimpressed. "Anyway, I've wanted to meet you for quite some time. You're...quite famous where I come from."

"I am?" Grell asked, surprised. She had dropped into a cross-legged position and was looking at Aurum with her chin propped up on her hand. "Where _do_ you come from, anyway?"

"America," Aurum said automatically, then frowned. "Actually, you know about demons and shit so I guess it's fine to tell you." Aurum sat across from Grell in the same cross-legged position. "I am from America, but from America roughly a hundred years in the future."

"The future?" Grell demanded, her head jolting back in surprise. "Oh, _come_ on. You're pulling my leg."

"'Fraid not," Aurum shrugged. "I was raised by a demon who can apparently travel through time. No idea why. He demanded my father's first-born child as my father's end of their contract."

"You've _got_ to be kidding," Grell said, looking at Aurum with an expression Aurum couldn't place.

"Nope."

"There's only one devil who can travel through time."

"Oh, lemme guess, Satan himself?"

Grell shook her head. "Not even Lucifer can do that. He calls himself Rumplestiltskin when he makes deals with humans, but nobody outside of hell knows his real name."

"Then how do you know about him?"

Grell frowned with a little growl. "We Reapers lose _quite a few_ souls to him. Every once in a while he gets bored with devouring souls and demands a first-born instead. Those first-borns usually cause a _lot_ of trouble when he lets them go." Grell eyes Aurum suspiciously and leaned back on her hands. "You're not going to cause trouble. Are you? Oh dear God, I'd have _so_ much paperwork to do and I _hate_ paperwork."

Aurum laughed. "Don't worry, Grell. I don't plan on killing anyone. Anyone important. But I'm _definitely_ going to cause trouble."

"Oh. Oh no." Grell rolled onto her stomach and kicked her legs in the air, her face buried in her arms. "If it involves your brother's soul, _don't_ even _bother_. My darling Bassy is going to _take_ that brat's soul and _devour_ it like the beautiful sexy beast that he is."

"Y'know, Sebastian's hot until you start talking like that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Grell jumped up onto her hands and knees and scowled at Aurum. "Bassy's beautiful no matter what!"

"Dude, why are you so in love with him anyway? He hates you. That, and who needs a boyfriend anyway?"

"What are you talking about?" Grell asked, slumping back to sit on her butt, her legs drawn up to her chest as she looked attentively at Aurum.

"What I'm saying, Grell, is that you don't need a man."

" _What_? Every lady needs a man to be good to her! A man to take care of her!"

Aurum growled. "You do _not_ know how that irritates my feminist feelings."

"What's feminist?" Grell looked confused.

"Oh my God. Grell, if you're gonna be a woman, then you need to know about feminism. If you don't, I'm going to punch you in the face."

" _Why?!_ Not the face!" Grell scrambled back.

"Because I'm mad and you're the only person here. Come back, I'm not actually gonna hit you."

Grell returned, lying on her stomach, resting her chin on her arms and gazing up at Aurum. "Very well then. Explain this _feminism_ to me."

"Well, first of all, Grell, tell me this. Who runs the world?"

Grell thought for a moment. "...Men," she realized.

"Eh, well, that's certainly what it looks like. But now think about this. What can a man do that a woman can't?"

"All sorts of things!" Grell said.

"False!" Aurum bopped Grell on the nose. Grell clapped a hand to her nose and looked at Aurum with confusion.

"Whatever do you _mean_ , Aurum? Men are strong and pretty!"

"Guess what? So are women. There is nothing a man is allowed to do that a woman couldn't do, too. Women can lead countries. I mean, Britain has a queen. Get a fucking clue! Women can teach in schools, women can be scientists, women can be in the army, women can be inventors or do whatever the hell they want! They don't have to stay at home. They don't have to only wear dresses. They don't have to have children if they don't want to. They don't have to subject themselves to arranged marriages. They can follow their dreams ad do what they want! A woman doesn't need a man! She can do it all herself. Sure, if she wants a man she can go and find herself someone to fall in love with, but the point is that she shouldn't be forced to do anything she doesn't want to.

And another thing. Women are traditionally not supposed to be physically strong. Yeah well, fuck that! A woman can be strong. I mean, look at Marchioness Midford and her daughter! They are the best swords-people in Britain."

Aurum paused for a breath.

"I think I like this idea," Grell said.

"Lovely," Aurum said. "I have one more point to make before my concentration runs out. There's this song where I come from called 'Do It Like A Dude.' It's basically just about a girl acting like a man. A girl should act like a girl, and only act like a man if she wants to, not because she feels it's necessary to have her strength recognized."

"So what you're telling me is that a woman does _not_ have to give up her life for a man?" Grell asked.

"Yup."

"But I can still be in love with Bassy, right?"

"He still hates you, but yeah. Knock yourself out."

Grell huffed. A silence followed, in which Aurum watched the moon and Grell muttered to herself.

"You said you were planning on causing trouble," Grell finally said. "What _kind_ of trouble, if I may ask?"

Aurum shrugged. "Well, I guess I hadn't really thought about this before. I kinda do wanna shake up this place. Tell me, Grell, how do people dance nowadays?"

"Why would you want to know _that_? People dance quite formally."

"Yeah well hey guess what? I'm gonna change that," Aurum smirked.

That got Grell's attention. "What do you mean?" She moved back into a cross-legged position.

Aurum grinned, the same evil smile she'd used when she was teasing her brother about Sebaciel. "You've never heard of hip-hop, have you? Or modern? Or jazz? You've never heard of pop, I'm sure of that. I have a phone, I have a bluetooth speaker, and I have a brain full of choreography. I'm sure I can figure something great out. Oh, also...you do know what pole-dancing is, right?"

By that point, Grell's eyes behind her glasses had gone huge and round. "Wh-what the hell?!" she demanded, blushing. "What kind of dancing is called hip-hop? Or pop? Those sound _quite_ dirty. You know what, actually….I like this idea. I don't suppose you could teach me?" Grell looked at Aurum, pulling puppy eyes.

"Oh, now that I know what I'm doing, I have _plans_ ," Aurum chuckled. "You can definitely help me if you want."

"So you're going to teach me to dance?!" Grell asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Aurum said. "But not tonight. Ciel's still not back and when he does get back he's gonna have a lot of shit he needs to work through and I wanna be there for him. But anyway, yeah. Get in touch with me in like a week."

"Alright." Grell checked her pocket-watch, then jumped up with a curse. "Oh _bother_ , I have to go. If I'm late Will's going to make me work overtime in the office." And with that she was gone. Aurum was left on the roof with a chill deep through her. She got up and stomped her feet a couple time to warm them up. Then with a glance at the road leading up to the manor, Aurum went back in to bed.


End file.
